TORONTO, May 16, 2017 /CNW/ - Alternate Health Corp. (CSE:AHG, OTC:AHGIF), a diverse healthcare company revolutionizing patient care and research through compliance and technology in the emerging medical cannabis industry, announced today the completion of its initial study to demonstrate the effectiveness of cannabinoid in treating chronic post-Zika virus symptoms.

The study, conducted at the Neubauer Hyperbaric Neurologic Center, evaluated the effectiveness of combining treatment with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and industrial hemp-derived cannabinoid to alleviate the rare but debilitating chronic post-Zika infection symptoms of pain, fatigue, anxiety, depressive state, and loss of appetite.

The Zika virus is a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitos, and over the past 10 years has caused infection in more than 50 countries worldwide. Zika has been declared a pandemic and is considered a Public Health Emergency by the World Health Organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed there is scientific consensus that Zika causes birth defects, and reports have linked its infection to an infrequent but serious neurological condition, Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

Although acute Zika infection is usually self-limiting, some patients can experience prolonged periods of severe fatigue, joint pain, loss of appetite, anxiety, depressive state, and lethargy after clearance of acute viral symptoms. It is these symptoms in this subset of Zika-infected patients that Alternate Health evaluated in its initial cannabinoid-based, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved research study.

All 10 patients enrolled in the study demonstrated a significant improvement in their subjective symptoms in less than a month of dual therapy with the Alternate Health Corporation's proprietary hemp-derived sub-lingual dissolvable cannabinoid tablet combined with hyperbaric oxygen treatments.

"The initial results suggesting symptomatic improvement of post-Zika infection-related symptoms by combining cannabidiol – a known anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent – with hyperbaric oxygen is extremely exciting," said Dr. Jamison Feramisco, CEO, Alternate Health. "Although this small study will need to be expanded and reproduced, it demonstrates the vast potential of cannabinoid and medical cannabis therapy to have broader applications for patients suffering from various disease states."

Alternate Health plans to expand its support of clinical trials at the Neubauer Center with the use of its hemp-derived cannabinoid products including sub-lingual dissolvable tablets to treat symptoms of other post-viral infections and conditions including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Based on a portfolio of clinical laboratories, research studies and medical software, Alternate Health invests in research, testing and production for the medicinal and therapeutic use of Cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids. Leveraging the company's assets in exclusive patents and partnerships, Alternate Health positions itself to be the global authority on the science, manufacturing and administration of medical cannabis.

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